BY CLAY MORRISON:
Wind farms have divided opinion ever since they were first presented as an alternative option for energy production. Some have objected to the farms being built, while others have readily embraced the new technology.
However, it’s not being used to its full potential. Researchers estimate that wind farms could produce up to 40 times the electricity the world consumes, but they currently provide just 4%. This used to be due to price, but improvements in infrastructure and higher voltage cables have cut down the cost considerably.
A new infographic looks at how many wind farms each of the world’s major cities would need to power them, from Bangkok to Los Angeles.
In London, for example, an offshore wind farm would take up the equivalent of 103% of the city area, and be formed of 1569 turbines. In contrast, a bigger city like Tokyo would need a wind farm formed of 10,310 turbines, and it would be equivalent to 485% of the city’s area.
You can explore how wind farms would power more of the world’s cities by checking out the infographic below.
